Hugs
by the magic is real
Summary: Chad Dylan Cooper doesn't do hugs. Chad, on the other hand, is a different story. Channy!
1. First Time

**A/N:** Okay, so I wasn't planning on actually writing one at all. But I got an idea and I thought it was really, really cute. It was going to be longer, but I like where this one ends. I might do more chapters documenting their cutesy hugs, but that's only if I get muse/time. Hope you guys enjoy it!

**Disclaimer:**I don't own any of it. SWAC, _So Random!_, _Mackenzie Falls_, or Channy. I only wish 3

- & -

Chad Dylan Cooper doesn't _do_ hugs.

Until that day when _she_ changed that. He remembered that day clearly. He had just finished wrapping up the final episode of the season for _Mackenzie Falls_, and was walking around the sets, headed for a particular one to look for a particular brunette.

"Oh _Sonny_!" he called out in a sing-song voice, knocking on the door to the dressing room she shared with Tawni before letting himself in. The blond "jerkthrob" had never learned the names of the _Random!_ cast members until Sonny joined and cared if he knew or not. It was weird how he wanted her to know that he cared, but couldn't tell her up front. And it wasn't because he was scared. Chad Dylan Cooper is _never_ scared.

"Chad, not right now, please," a disgruntled sounding Sonny sighed from behind the couch. The seventeen-year-old raised an eyebrow before kneeling on the couch cushions and leaning over teh back to stare at Sonny upside down. "Chad!" the sixteen-year-old cried out, her eyes wide when she noticed his bright blue eyes staring straight at her. She quickly put her head between her knees and hugged them tightly.

"Sonny, Sonny, Sonny," Chad said knowingly, climbing agilely over the couch and sitting next to Sonny. The brunette looked up slowly and cautiously when she felt Chad sit close to her - abnormally close, actually. She could almost _feel_ his skin on hers, just about the closest physical contact they'd had since their fake date. "What's wrong, Sonshine?" he asked, sounding genuinely sincere as he gave her a small smile and she stared at his sparkly blue eyes. She involuntarily smiled at his sincerity and nickname.

"Nothing, Chad, just girl stuff. You would be bored," she said matter-of-factly before resting her chin on her knees, still hugging them close to her. Chad couldn't help but think that she looked rather..._cute_ doing so, and kind of wanted to wrap an arm around her shoulders and tell her everything would be okay. Well, more than kind of, actually.

"I like girls, I like stuff; why don't you try me?" he said jokingly, and she let out a small laugh. That's when he noticed the trails left by the tears she had been crying earlier, the redness in her cheeks where she had furiously swiped them away, and the pink puffiness around her eyes, all confirming that he was about to hear some boy troubles.

"That was pretty amusing, Chad. You could be on _So Random!_ if you really wanted to," Sonny said, her small smile widening a little as she wiped her cheek again, even though I was pretty sure all the tears were already wiped off or had dried up already.

"No thanks, Sonny; I'm a _serious_ actor, remember?" Chad replied, sounding totally serious, but his smile and eyes told her that he was only teasing. "So what's putting a damper on the Sonshine?" he asked again and her smile grew a smidgen before faltering.

"So you know my sort of boyfriend, Will?" she asked and Chad bheld back a grimace before nodding slowly, letting his eyes wander between Sonny's face, her fidgeting fingers, and his own. "He broke up with me...through a text," she said forlornly, hugging her knees tighter. He could tell she was holding back tears and Chad bit the inside of his cheek, trying to find the right words to say and trying to hold back from standing up and storming over to this Will guy's house and beating his face in, or at least giving Sonny a big hug, which, in all honesty, was a weird urge for Chad Dylan Cooper.

"Sonny..." he muttered, trailing off and still thinking. He nervously rubbed the back of his neck, waiting for her to say something.

"Chad," Sonny whispered purposefully, and he looked up at her quickly and expectantly. "I know it's weird to be asking you this but...can I have a hug?" Sonny asked nervously and when Chad didn't say anything immediately, she started rambling. "You see, whenever I was upset back in Wisconsin, my mom would always give me these nice, long hugs and I _really_ need one right now, and, well, you're here right know so I was wondering you I could get one from you and...yeah," she said, taking a deep breath at the end of it all. Then she started staring at Chad, waiting for his answer as he stared blankly, but incredulously at her.

_She_ wanted a hug from him. She wanted a _hug_ from him. She wanted a hug from _him_. _She wanted a hug from him!_ Hhis thoughts raced as he displayed his options in his head. It didn't take longer than a second for him to make his decision, though.

"Sonny," he started saying slowly. "Chad Dylan Cooper doesn't _do_ hugs," he told her matter-of-factly and he noticed her face visibly fall before he continued. "But _Chad_ does," he added, giving her a small genuine smile and when she returned it, the familiar bright shine back in her eyes, he put an arm around her shoulders, slightly awkwardly. It had been a while since he had given anyone a sincere hug.

"Chad," she said hesitantly and he gave her a questioning look. "Hugs are less awkward standing up," she told him helpfully, and he stood up quickly, hiding the soft blush from Sonny, holding a hand out to her. "I didn't know Chad Dylan Cooper was such a gentleman," she joked as she took his hand and stood up.

"He's not," he said as he pulled her into a tight hug. "_Chad_ is," he whispered into her ear, a huge, goofy grin on his face as he relaxed, closing his eyes, and squeezed her a little tighter.

"I could get used to just Chad," Sonny whispered, her eyes closed as she relaxed in his arms and squeezed him tighter as well, and although he couldn't see it, a grin that matched his own was on her face.

- & -

**A/N:** So what'd you guys think? I wanna hear from you so send me a review please!

- Kalie


	2. Romance Novels

**A/N: **So I know this was supposed to be a one-shot, but I couldn't resist the pull of Channy! I got the idea in the midst of getting ready to shower (I get my muse at weird times XD), and just _had_ to write it out. Hope you like it! Also, I think I'm going to keep updating these now and then whenever I get Channy hug ideas. Haha.

**Disclaimer: **SWAC & Channy don't belong to me, sadly.

- & -

"_Ugh!_" Sonny Monroe cried out as she forcefully pushed the door open to reveal the world outside the _So Random!_ studio. _Why don't they all just read the romance books or something?!? Maybe they'll learn a thing or two about being a good boyfriend. I just need to meet __**one**__ guy who reads romance novels and lets me know that in real life, guys __**aren't **__all the same,_ she thought as she angrily ran a hand through her hair just before she ran into someone. "Oh!" she squealed as the person wrapped their arms around her to keep the two of them from falling.

"Sonny!" Chad Dylan Cooper shouted as he stared at the brunette in his arms. His blue eyes widened as he gripped the book in his hand and quickly let go of Sonny and stepping backwards.

"What are you doing here?" they asked simultaneously, studying each other up and down as they stood a foot away from each other.

"You first," Sonny said, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Nope; I'm older, so you can't call seniority, I was going in when you were going out so that means I was here longer, _and_ I'm a guy, so I can pull the ladies first, now spill," Chad said haughtily and Sonny took an angry breath. But she spoke anyways.

"It's Alex," she told him before sitting down on the curb, arms crossed over her knees.

"What; did he forget about your one month anniversary today?" Chad asked, remembering the date. Sonny turned to him, an incredulous look in her eyes, and he remembered that at the moment, he was Chad Dylan Cooper to her, the arrogant drama king who didn't care enough to remember people's names.

"Yeah, actually," she sighed before resting her head on her arms. "I don't know what I did wrong," she added and Chad scoffed.

"Just because he forgot doesn't mean you did something wrong," Chad told her when she sent him a quizzical look.

"Well, obviously I'm not being memorably enough for him to remember the day we started dating!" Sonny cried out, throwing her hands in the air as she leaned back on her arms.

"Trust me, Sonshine, you're memorable enough," Chad said absently as he leaned back as well, book still gripped in his hand. Sonny tilted her head questioningly at him after a quick glance at the book. "What?" he asked, his eyes widening a little.

"What's the book?" she asked curiously, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She made a move for the book, but Chad was faster. "Come on, Chad, what do you have to hide?" she giggled and he smirked.

"Nothing, Sonny, but this is my book! It's a secret!" he told her as he stretched his arms to keep the book away from her.

"Really, Chad? _Really_?" she asked, mocking one of his lines, causing him to smile. "I'm sure millions of people have read that book too!"

"Well, yeah, but – hey!" Chad cried out as she practically tackled him to reach over his head and torso to get to the book. The two of them fell down, laughing, the book flying out of his hand as they lay down next to each other. After their laughing fits subsided, they lay there quietly, comfortable in each other's presence.

"So, the big one month between you and Alex, huh, Sonny?" Chad asked as he turned to face her, and she did the same to face him.

"Yeah," she said sadly, reminding him that she was still bummed about him forgetting.

"Hey, come on, cheer up, Sonshine," he told her, nudging her lightly on the shoulder. Sonny couldn't help but smile as he used the nickname again. He only ever called her Sonshine when he was feeling...nice and like just Chad.

"How can I? He _forgot_, Chad," she replied sadly, pushing back a strand of hair that was falling in front of her face.

"So? He's a guy. We're bound to forget stuff," Chad explained, giving her a small smile.

"_You_ didn't forget, and you're Chad Dylan Cooper, the man who doesn't care," Sonny said, turning slightly to lie down on her back and sighed.

"Meh, it was a lucky guess," he lied, shrugging as he moved to lie down on his back as well. There was a silence and he started thinking about how he wanted to approach the subject. Something told him to encourage her to leave Alex and just find a better guy, but then another part told him that Alex made her happy and that if she was happy with him, she should stay. "He's not the best boyfriend, is he?" Chad asked hesitantly, trying to see if he had any ammo to use to support her leaving the guy.

"Oh, well, he's amazing, don't get me wrong. He does most things right, but there's just – little things, you know?" Sonny said, turning back onto her side to face Chad, her brown eyes filled with confusion.

"Yeah," Chad said quietly as he thought. Although he had been spending the past few minutes thinking about what he _should_ say, the next statement he _did_ say next was totally on impulse. "You don't really choose very good boyfriends, huh?"

Sonny was quiet and Chad immediately wished he hadn't said anything and waited for her to start yelling. Instead she started laughing and Chad raised an eyebrow in question as he waited for her to explain the fit of giggles she was in. "No, I guess I don't," she agreed, and Chad gave her a small smile. "I mean, there's Alex, who forgets everything and is rarely ever on time," she said, nodding slowly.

"And then Will," Chad said, not sure if he was supposed to help her remember all the jerks she dated.

"And _James_," Sonny said, disgust obvious in her voice. Both she and Chad shivered momentarily before laughing for a few more seconds and falling into a thoughtful silence.

"Sonny, I think....I was your best boyfriend – and it was a fake relationship," Chad said – once again impulsively. He mentally smacked himself as he tried to figure out a way to save whatever dignity he might have left.

"Of course you think that, you're Chad Dylan Cooper – you think you're better than everyone else," Sonny replied, and he could tell from her tone that she was back to being slightly annoyed at him.

"Yes...and no," he told her reluctantly. "I'm not Chad Dylan Cooper right now, but yeah, he does think he's better than everyone else," he half-explained when she gave him a questioning look. At his explanation, she nodded slowly and he could tell she was starting to put together the puzzle that was Chad Dylan Cooper.

"So, why don't you stay that way?" she asked softly after a few moments of silence.

"Stay what way?" he asked, sincerely confused.

"Like Chad, just Chad; why do you keep up the facade that is Chad Dylan Cooper, if you could just be Chad?" Sonny asked hesitantly, eyeing the seventeen-year-old blond in her peripheral vision.

"I guess because Chad never existed until recently," he told her, not going into details. After all, she didn't need to know that Chad never existed until Sonny joined the cast of _So Random!_ She simply nodded before turning to lie on her back.

Five minutes of comfortable silence later, she stood up slowly, and he followed. They didn't say anything about where they were going or why they were getting up, but they dusted off their legs and shirts before straightening up. The two of them stared intently at each other for a second, as if unsure how to go about the conversation of good-bye.

"Sonny?" Chad asked hesitantly, breaking the silence.

"Yeah?" Sonny asked expectantly, her eyes searching his for any clue of what he was about to say. Here was the time to choke out what might be the hardest words for him to say – why they were the hardest, he wasn't totally sure yet.

"Don't give up on Alex. If he makes you happy, don't give up on him," he told her, running a hand through his blond hair. Sonny softly said "oh" before nodding, and Chad couldn't help but see her face fall a little.

"Right, I shouldn't," she whispered and he gave her a small smile.

"He _does_ make you happy, right?" Chad asked intently, sounding rather protective of the actress. Sonny looked up at him, and giggled for a second. He let out a small chuckle before she practically pounced on him, her arms wrapped tightly around her neck. He blinked in shock before wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her tightly.

"Thanks for listening," she said sincerely into his ear as she pulled him closer, burrowing her face in his neck.

"No problem," Chad replied as a smile on his face as he buried his face in her hair. "I'll take it that means he makes you happy?" he asked as they let go of each other and realized that he felt a slight pang of anger in his stomach when Sonny nodded.

"Yeah, and thanks for reminding me," she told him as she fidgeted. They were quiet for another moment before Sonny broke the quiet. "I'd better go let him know I'm not mad at him anymore," Sonny said quietly and Chad simply nodded. She gave him a smile before heading back to the _So Random!_ studio.

Chad stared intently at the door for a little bit longer before looking around him. During their little fight over the book, he had somehow lost a grip of it. He finally saw the familiar, well-worn corner of the cover and went to go pick it up from under the maintenance cart. He smiled as he dusted the cover of the romance novel. As shallow as Chad let the world think he was, he had a guilty pleasure of reading romance novels – not that anyone was ever going to know.

- & -

**A/N: **So, what did you guys think? Was it alright? Let me know in a review!

-Kalie


	3. Rain Drops

**A/N:** I wrote this this morning because I decided that Channy needed an "in-the-rain" hug. I hope it's up to par. :)

**Disclaimer:** The only person I own is Alex Beckett - unfortunately.

- & -

"Hey, watch the microphone!" Chad Dylan Cooper cried out as a reporter tried to shove a microphone in his face as they asked a question. "It could damage this beauty," he told them as he stepped away from the paparazzi. It was just another premier night and Chad Dylan Cooper was out and about, socializing and upping his popularity points – not that Chad Dylan Cooper thought he needed any more points for that. He was _obviously_ the most popular guy in that room – even more popular than that stupid Zac Efron!

"Chad Dylan Cooper, rumour has it that you and Sonny Monroe are dating, is it true?" a reporter cried out and Chad mentally hesitated.

"That's not true. Why would I be dating her? _So Random!_ and _Mackenzie Falls_ have a long-standing rivalry I refuse to breach," Chad Dylan Cooper spat out just as the familiar voice of Sonny Monroe screamed loudly, making the whole crowd turn.

"Sonny, will you lower your volume?" Alex Beckett, her movie star boyfriend, said angrily, gripping her arm.

"No, get _away_ from me, you filthy little piece of scum!" Sonny yelled, pulling her arm out of his grip.

"Sonny!" Alex said, gripping her arm tighter.

"Let _go_!" Sonny told him, trying to pull away, but was unsuccessful. She was about to start yelling when a hand gripped Alex's wrist.

"She _said_ to let her go," Chad said icily, his blue eyes lacking their sparkle as he stared down Alex.

Alex, his brown eyes suddenly looking very scared, tried to keep up the tough guy facade by gripping Sonny's arm tighter.

"Owe," she whispered involuntarily and Chad tightened his grip around Alex's wrist.

"Let. Her. Go," he said and Sonny almost shivered at the coldness in his voice. "_Now_," he added, twisting Alex's wrist a little. The movie star's face contorted before he finally let go of Sonny. Sonny quickly pulled her arm to her chest as tears welled up in her eyes. "What did you do?" he growled, his voice low enough that the paparazzi couldn't hear them, but he knew that they had already gotten enough information that would definitely contradict Chad Dylan Cooper's earlier statement about dating Sonny.

_Why didn't you just let them deal with it by themselves? Why'd you have to go butt in?_ Chad Dylan Cooper's selfish whine asked Chad as he let go of Alex's wrist. That's when Chad noticed a dark red lipstick mark on Alex's jaw. He blinked a few times before it dawned on him as to what Alex had done.

And he punched him for it.

The paparazzi snapped a photo every millisecond and reporters were writing notes down fervently as Chad stood over Alex, who was splayed on the floor and clutching his jaw. The blonde's fists were curled tightly at his side, knuckles white. He was taking deep breaths as Sonny's breath seemed to hitch behind him. He turned to see the brunette running off.

Just in time for the rain to start.

"Sonny," Chad whispered before running after her, not even caring that he was getting his suit wet by leaving the safety of the tent and that the paparazzi was having a field day with this piece. Five blocks later, Chad realized he didn't know which way Sonny headed, but as he turned the corner, slightly out of breath, he saw the brunette crumpled on the floor. She was on her knees, sitting on her calves. Sonny was slumped forward and Chad could tell that she was crying into her hands. Her dark blue dress was sticking to her skin as Chad approached her.

"I don't know why I stayed," she whispered as he sat on his knees next to her and put a hand on her back.

"You said you were happy," Chad replied quietly, pulling his hand away and placing it in his lap as she gave a tearful laugh.

"I lied about that, Chad. You were – you were being nice and you were _expecting_ me to be happy, so I told you I was," Sonny told him and his eyes widened a little as he watched her wipe at her eyes, only for the tears to be replaced by rain drops.

"I was expecting you to tell the truth, Sonshine, not what I wanted to hear," Chad said simply, putting an arm around her shoulders. Chad didn't know what had possessed him to do that, but he had and the damage was done. What he also _didn't _expect from Sonny was for her to lean into him. The Chad Dylan Cooper in him was yelling as he tightened his grip around Sonny.

_Rival show! She belongs to a rival show! And I just told the world we weren't dating! Way to make me sound like a filthy liar!_ Chad Dylan Cooper was saying as Chad rested his cheek on Sonny's wet hair.

"Chad," Sonny whispered and he answered with a quiet "hm?" "You told the paparazzi we weren't dating."

"Yeah," Chad said, curious to where she was going with this.

"Then you practically broke my boyfriend - sorry, ex-boyfriend's arm less than five seconds later," she added and Chad smiled. She sounded just like CDC.

"He was hurting you," Chad said simply and she seemed to bury her head in his shoulder a little more.

"Yeah, but – you let the world see Chad," Sonny replied and he nodded.

"It was necessary," he shrugged and she giggled. He could tell she was feeling better already.

"It was rather heroic," she told him, sitting up a little, her brown eyes twinkling as they stared back at each other.

"Well, I try," Chad told her, not looking away even though he knew he should.

"I'm giving up on him,'" she said after a second of silence, looking away and falling back into a slump. "I should just give up on all of them," she added unsurely, like she was hoping for some sort of sign telling her not to give up on relationships.

Chad hesitated, unsure what to say. Finally, he just settled on what had brought her to this situation. "If it makes you happy," he said simply and she gave a half-hearted laugh.

"I still think it's a little odd to see Chad Dylan Cooper's face making sure I'm happy," she told him, giving him a small smile.

"Same here," he told her as he stood up, a hand still on her shoulder. "Chad Dylan Cooper isn't too happy about it, either," he added, chuckling as he held out a hand to her.

"Well, he can't exactly do anything about it now, can he?" she laughed and Chad shook his head. Sonny sighed as she crossed her arms. The rain hadn't let up, so the two of them were still soaked to the bone, but as Chad studied her, standing there, hugging herself in her dark blue, spaghetti-strap dress that was supposed to hang around her like a fairy was sticking to her legs and her hair, which had been put in a curly half-updo, was falling flat and stuck to her skin and face.

Chad smiled and absent-mindedly pushed a strand of her hair off her face and behind her ear. "Oh, um, sorry," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets as she stared incredulously at him.

"It's alright, Chad," she told him, a small smile on her face before she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thanks," she whispered as he wrapped his arms around her. "You're the best," she added, a big grin on her face.

Chad smiled and shrugged as she stepped away. "No problem, Sonshine," he said, and her grin grew a little. "Of course, being Chad Dylan Cooper, of _course_ I'm the best," Chad Dylan Cooper added involuntarily and Sonny giggled.

"We'd better head back to the studio. I don't think I can face going to the premier," she sighed and Chad nodded. He slipped off the jacket part of his suit and put it over her shoulders.

"Might not be effective, but it should help a little," he added jokingly as she tugged it tighter around her.

"Thanks," she whispered and he gave her a small smile.

"No problem," he sighed as they started walking the last two blocks towards the studio.

- & -

**A/N: **So there it is! I hope you guys liked it. Reviews are loved and appreciated. :)

- Kalie


	4. Twenty Questions

**A/N:** So, I think this chapter signifies the soon end of the story, seeing as it's 3000+ words of Channy. The other chapters didn't even reach 2000+ words. O_o Well, I hope you guys still enjoy it. :)

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, really.

- & -

"Sonny," Chad Dylan Cooper asked the _So Random!_ actress as the two of them stood at the cafeteria at the end of the day. It was almost dark and they were getting ready to eat dinner.

"Mmhmm?" Sonny Monroe asked, giving her mystery meat a weird look before dumping it in the trash and start walking.

"Where are you going?" he asked and she stopped mid-step. She realized she was headed to the outside world, to her favourite place to go, with Chad Dylan Cooper following her.

"Oh, um, no where particular," she lied, her voice going up an octave and Chad raised an eyebrow at her. "really!" she added, her voice going up an octave again and she lowered her head, trying to hide the blush from the blond.

"Sonshine, you know you can trust me!" Chad told her and she hesitate.

"This place is kind of a secret," she told him, taking his wrist and dragging him to a corner, whispering and looking around.

Sonny, everyone knows about this corner," Chad said, slightly uncomfortably as he recalled the rumours surrounding the corner.

"_No!_" she whispered loudly, slapping him on the arm before giving out a soft chuckle. "The place I'm _headed_ to is outside of the lot," she explained and he nodded.

"Where is it?" Chad whispered, leaning forward a little.

"I don't really know. I just sort of know how to get there. It's a clearing surrounded by woods, but it's my favourite spot," Sonny explained and Chad nodded again.

"Can I see it?" he asked expectantly and Sonny bit her lip as she thought. She was always going to Chad with her problems nowadays and, although she sort of liked the idea, it also scared her. More often than not, though, she revealed her problems to him when they were alone – no one else to trigger Chad Dylan Cooper to coming out. "Sonshine, what are you afraid of? That I'll squeal?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"No, I guess you wouldn't," she sighed before nodding. Without hesitation, she laced her fingers in his and, with an excited grin on her face, dragged him out of the building. "I really think you'll love this place, Chad!" she cried, an excited smile on her face as she looked back at Chad. He simply smiled back, glad that her eyes were back to sparkling. The thing with Alex had kept her upset more often than not. _So Random!_ wasn't even as funny anymore. Yes, that _does_ mean that Chad watches _So Random! _sometimes. The two were now walking through the woods.

"Okay, close your eyes!" Sonny instructed as Chad noticed the overhead leaves were thinning and letting in some light. Chad chuckled and closed his eyes obediently, a grin on his face. The Chad Dylan Cooper in him was screaming for him to ask what was so special about this place covered in dirt, but Chad just told him to shut up. In his mind, of course.

"Ready, Chad?" Sonny whispered and he noticed how she was practically at his ear and he internally shivered. What was going on with him recently, he asked himself as she pulled him forward a few more feet. "Open your eyes!" she told him excited. He opened his eyes and a smirk graced his face.

Sonny's special place was a small clearing with a big tree in the middle. The tree was home to a floor-only tree house and a tire swing. Chad had to admit, this was definitely a Sonny kind of place.

"Isn't it amazing?" she asked excitedly as she let go of his hand. He couldn't help but notice that he kind of missed her small hand in his. She climbed up the tree using the ladder rungs someone had nailed to the trunk. "Come on!" she called out and Chad laughed as he started climbing after her.

"How did you find this place anyways?" he asked curiously as Sonny pulled out a plastic container from between two branches. Opening the lid, she handed it to Chad and pulled out a blanket, a bag of chips, and two bottles of water. He read the lid and chuckled when he saw that it said "For Company and Emergencies."

"I was just walking around and I just ran into this place. At first, I thought it was just the tire swing, and then I found the ladder rungs," she told him as she placed the bag of chips and bottles of water down and started unfolding the blanket. Chad grabbed one end and helped her lay it out on the wooden floor and keep it down with a few pieces of wood.

"Seems like a great place to watch the stars," he mumbled absently as Sonny started pulling out flashlights.

"Yeah, it is," Sonny said with a laugh.

"What?" Chad asked curiously, raising an eyebrow as he watched her study him incredulously, her arms crossed.

"Nothing," she laughed before sitting on the blanket and Chad smiled as the orange-ish glow of the sunset danced across her face. "Sit?" she asked, turning to him as she lay down.

"Sure," he shrugged before sitting on the blanket next to her. "Can I ask you a question, Sonny?" he asked, lying down and turning to her.

"Yes?" Sonny whispered without turning away from the pinkish sky.

"Why are you showing me this?" he murmured, rubbing the back of his neck. She blinked and slowly turned towards him.

"I don't know," she shrugged, and he could see that she meant it. "You asked and I wanted to tell someone and I – I feel like I can trust you, I guess," she replied, and then, with a mischievous smile on her face, she added: "At least, I know I can trust _Chad_." The two of them laughed and she turned towards him.

"What?" he asked as she stared at him intently, as if thinking.

"Want to play twenty questions? Not the "I-know-what-you're-thinking" kind, but random questions," Sonny asked, an excited twinkle in her eyes.

_What could go wrong?_ Chad thought as he nodded. Chad Dylan Cooper answered him with an _a lot of things_, though, so he suddenly felt queasy about saying yes.

"Let's start with something easy, um, your favourite colour?" Sonny asked, turning to her side and Chad remembered the last time the two were along and not arguing...and discussing Alex.

"Brown," he answered without hesitation and thinking.

"Really?" she asked, watching him incredulously. "Isn't that a random colour to have as a favourite?"

"Not really," Chad shrugged.

"Why is it your favourite colour?"

"It reminds me of all kinds of good things, I suppose," Chad shrugged, trying not to stare too intensely at her brown eyes.

"Like what?"

"Cookies," he replied instantly.

"What's your favourite flavour?"

"Of what?"

"Ice cream?"

"Vanilla."

"Why?"

"Is it your turn yet?" he asked, his tone whiny.

"Chad," Sonny said, mock-angrily.

"Fine; it's a nice and simple flavour."

"How about cookies?"

"White chocolate chip macadamia."

"Why?"

"My mom used to make them all the time," he mumbled, blushing.

"Awe, how cute!"

"Your turn yet?"

"Nope, ten more questions."

"So, go!"

"What's your type?"

"Type of what?"

"Girl."

"Seriously?"

"Yes; I want to know what Chad Dylan Cooper likes in a girl." Chad smirked at her wording.

"That's easy," he told her and Sonny gave him a curious look. "Beautiful bombshell; fame and being leggy are recommended," he answered and the two laughed.

"Who has been Chad Dylan Cooper's favourite date?"

"Uhh, I'd have to say the blonde in the front of Teen Vogue's December 2007 issue," he said simply, after spending a moment of thinking.

"Really?"

"Yeah, and you're wasting your questions by always asking me if I really mean something. You have six more."

"How many girlfriends have you had, as Chad Dylan Cooper _and_ Chad?"

"Five, but I've been on _many_ dates."

"How many?" she asked curiously.

"Three-hundred-twenty-and-a-half," he said seriously and her eyes widened into dinner plates.

"A half?"

"Our fake date counts as a half," he explained matter-of-factly.

"Do you think we should have another fake date so it becomes a whole?" she asked jokingly, a small smile on her face.

"It sounds like a good idea...in theory," he replied, a smirk on her face and she smiled back.

"As Chad Dylan Cooper or Chad?"

"It doesn't matter," he shrugged, leaning back a little.

"Okay, what's _Chad's_ type?"

"Why do you want to know?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Chad."

"Okay, fine...um, I don't know, the kind that will keep Chad Dylan Cooper in check but also be fun and not all pomp and circumstance," Chad said after a few milliseconds of silence.

"Oh, well..." she started and Chad held a finger just barely touching her lips as he shook his head.

"I do believe that's twenty questions, Miss Monroe," he told her and she blushed a little.

"Fine, your turn, then," Sonny said defiantly as she sat up and criss-crossed her legs. Chad smirked and followed suit.

"Let's skip the easy part," he told her and she laughed, pushing back a strand of hair behind her ear. "Favourite cookie flavour?"

"This is your definition of skipping the easy part?"

"Hey, I'm asking the questions here!"

"Fine, its chocolate chunk and M&M."

"Why?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Because I like all the chocolate."

"That's lame," he said, scoffing.

"You never said it had to be cool."

"Whatever."

"Next question," she said firmly.

"Favourite ice cream?"

"Um, Heath bar, I think."

"Chocolate?"

"Hershey's Kisses."

"Why?"

"They're little bite-sized pieces of chocolate that are called Kisses. How can you not love them?"

"Really, Sonny, really?"

"Really, Chad, really. That counts as one, just so you know."

"Alright, let's see, favourite birthday party?"

"When I was twelve; my long-time crush gave me my first kiss. Of course, he moved away that summer."

"Sucks to be him," he said, shrugging.

"I thought you would say it sucks to be me."

"If he hadn't moved away, you two probably would've dated and then you'd be famous and he'd be the famous girl's boyfriend. Thus it sucks to be him."

"Your odd logic amazes me," she murmured honestly, shaking her head as she chuckled.

"It's from years of living in the shallow world that is Hollywood."

"How long have you lived here?"

"Wait your turn," he said matter-of-factly.

"Then ask your question!"

"How many boyfriends have you had?"

"Three and a half."

"What have they all had in common?"

"What?"

"This is, like, my version of "what's your type of guy," Sonny, go along."

"I don't understand."

"What part of the three guys you've committed yourself into a relationship to do they all have in common?"

"Um..."

"Eye colours?"

"James' was a greenish brown. Will's was dark brown and Alex's was green."

"Hair colours?"

"Dark brown, red hair, and bleach blond."

"Is that what you call it? I just thought he was old."

"Is that one of your questions?"

"Eh; um, how'd you meet them?"

"James guest starred on the _Falls_. Will was having lunch with the _Falls_ cast when he helped me pick up the "bully backpack" that I accidentally took with me from the studio, and Alex was talking to that Devon guy at a café when I met him."

"So it's _Mackenzie Falls_?"

"What's _Mackenzie Falls_?"

"The connector."

"Really?"

"I think so."

"That makes sense, I guess..."

"So what is it about _Mackenzie Falls_ that has you meeting all your boyfriends through it, somehow?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

"Throw a guess out."

"You guys have cute guest stars?"

"Is that a question or an answer?"

"Is that a part of your twenty questions?"

"Sonny."

"Fine, yes, it's an answer. I can't help it if your casting director hires cute guest stars."

"How many dates have you been on?"

"Seventeen and a half," she told him after thinking a little bit.

"Which one is your favourite?"

"The half," she answered quickly without thinking.

"Your favourite date was our fake date?"

"Well, yeah."

"Why?"

"Because – I guess it's because it's the only one that didn't end in a tragedy."

"I lied in my blog about our fake date and you don't call that a tragedy?"

"That's question twenty."

"You still have to answer."

"Yeah, comparatively, it was the least tragic date."

"Must've been a sad seventeen dates," he said simply.

"Can we move on?" Sonny asked, sighing.

"Is that your first question?" he joked, smirking at her and she narrowed her eyes at him, a small smile on her face.

"Will you shut up?" she cried out, shoving his arm a little.

"That's the second," he pointed out in a sing-song voice.

"Chad!" she shouted, laughing a little.

"Is that a question or a statement?" he asked her, leaning forward and resting his chin on his palm, like the well-known psychiatrist pose.

"Don't be obnoxious!" she told him, crossing her arms.

"Sorry, can you repeat the question?" he asked, giving her a confused look.

"Don't make me hit you!" she shouted, holding her hand out a little.

"How is that different from any other day?" he asked and she laughed before practically pouncing on him to hit the back of his head.

"Eeek!" Sonny squealed as, in her attempt to hit Chad, the blond grabbed her around the waist and let her drop to the ground.

"Hah!" he cried out as the two of them lay still on the floor, her arms around his neck and his around her waist as his face hovered a few mere inches over hers, their stares intense as the quiet surrounded them.

"Do you hug anyone else?" Sonny whispered quietly and Chad could feel her breath on his lips.

"What do you mean?" he asked nervously, still not moving.

"I don't ever see you hugging anyone outside of shooting a scene for the _Falls_."

"Oh, well, I guess I don't," he said, giving her a one-shoulder shrug.

"Why not?"

"No idea," Chad said before he sat up, letting go of her waist.

"Should we head back?" she whispered, sitting up next to him as well.

"Yeah, it's getting dark," Chad pointed out and he pulled the bucket out from between the tree branches. The two of them cleared up the floor silently, barely looking up at each other. Finally, they started climbing down; Chad going first and Sonny following close after him. When they hit the floor, she gave him a big grin, which he returned.

_I wonder what he's thinking_, she thought as the two headed towards the woods' trail when he stopped her. "What is it?"

"Do you think there's another way through?"

"Is this really the best time to find out?"

"No, maybe we should get a flashlight."

"Are you scared?" she asked with a slight jovial tone in her voice. Chad chuckled before turning to her with a shake of his head.

"No, I'm just worried."

"That we'll find monsters?"

"No, about you," he replied impulsively and he stopped mid-step for a second. _What is wrong with me!?!?_ Chad thought angrily as they continued down the path quietly. _You're turning into a softy. Admit it, Chad, without me, you're turning into a huge softy_, the voice of arrogant Chad Dylan Cooper said in his head, CDC's tone just _reeking_ of "I-told-you-so." They walked in quiet, but Chad was surprised when a fourth of the way through, Sonny candidly grabbed his hand and huddled closer to him. He simply tightened his grip around her hand and gave her an encouraging smile. Between the tree house and the studio, the stars seemed to hide, making everything around them darker. _Even Sonny can't gather up enough optimism for a ray of Sonshine_, he thought, amused with himself.

Finally, they reached the lot, where the lights got rid of the fearful aura around them, and they let go of their hands and stepped a couple inches away from each other. Chad didn't stop and walk towards the set for the _Falls_, though, but continued walking next to Sonny until they reached the door of the _So Random!_ studio where he nodded and Sonny gave him a sheepish smile.

"Thanks, Chad, for walking me to the door, that is," she said and he gave her a sheepish smile before she wrapped her arms around his neck in a small hug. He smiled at the familiarity of the action before returning the hug.

"No problem," he said as he started walking towards the set for the _Falls_, giving her a half-hearted wave. He didn't turn away from the door until she went inside before he turned around and took a deep breath, his eyes closed.

What had he gotten himself into?

_A huge mess, that's what,_ the "I-told-you-so" voice of Chad Dylan Cooper said in his head and Chad dug the heels of his palms into his eyes. _You should've just walked away that day Will broke up with her, but you didn't, and now you're in too deep._

Chad shook his head. Even his arrogant, selfish, subconscious self was ready to admit what he still wanted to ignore.

- & -

**A/N: **What did you guys think? Is it alright? I hope so =/ I know it was pretty awkward near the end, but it's the good kind of awkward. The kind that's like "Oh-my-I-think-I-kind-of-like-this-person" mixed in with the "this-person-and-I-used-to-hate-each-other" and "I-thought-we-were-just-friends." I'm rambling now, so I'll just let you guys go ahead and hopefully click the button and review? :)

- Kalie


	5. Tree Swing

**A/N: **Chapter five! :) It's a little less than the last update. It's actually one of the shorter ones, but it's got something special in it, so it should make up for it ;)

**Disclaimer: **None of it is really mine -sigh-

- & -

"Chad," Tawni Hart called out as the blond sat in the cafeteria after a day of shooting at _Mackenzie Falls_.

"What?" Chad Dylan Cooper asked with a smug smirk on his face.

"Have you seen Sonny?" the blonde girl asked cheerily and he raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't she a part of _your_ show, Blondie?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, but this guy that's guest starring in our show was flirting with her and everything and I _think_ they were going to start getting serious, but then he said some pretty mean things to her and she ran off before we finished shooting," Tawni explained, using exaggerated gestures to emphasize her point, but all was lost to Chad. He was already getting up, throwing his lobster bib on the table, and heading out the door.

There was only one place that he could think of her going after being hurt. Sonny was much too innocent for some jerk guest star to just tell her mean things and get away with it. Chad would have to deal with that guy later – after he made sure Sonny was okay.

"Well, I'll see you later!" Tawni called out and, if Chad had been paying attention, he would've noted how she sounded slightly mischievous as she said so. He wasn't, though, he was just racing towards the tree house clearing as quickly as he could, getting his arms scratched up a little as he walked through the woods.

"Sonshine?" he called out as he reached the end of the clearing. He saw the brunette hanging in the tire swing, looking rather limp and dejected as she let it hang unmoving.

"Chad!" she cried out, looking up at the sound of his voice. He saw her smile a little and he smiled back. "What are you doing here?"

"Tawni told me about the guest star," he said simply as he walked up to face her and lean on the tire a little. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I've gone through worse," she sighed, leaning against the rope and Chad smiled before he started pushing the tire. "Hey!"

"What's the point of sitting on the tire swing if you're not going to swing?" he asked her before he started running and pushing her at the same time. She squealed as he let go and let her swing freely around, her hair flying around her. He was facing her back now and he smiled as he watched her spin around a little and smile and laugh. Good; she wasn't going to stay upset about this boy if he had anything to do about it.

"_Chad_!" she cried out and he realized that she was on the verge of hitting the tree, so he sprinted up to the tire swing and pulled her out of there as quickly as he could. "Owe," he heard her mumble as the two of them landed on the floor, his face just inches above hers. "Oh," she whispered as they stopped moving, just staring at each other.

_Do it_, Chad Dylan Cooper thought mischievously as Chad took in the situation. He was on top of her, his hair falling over his eyes and barely touching her nose, and an arm around her waist, kind of like a half hug, and she had one arm splayed on the floor above her head and the other wrapped around his neck. And suddenly, Chad Dylan Cooper's instructions seemed very, very tempting. No, he wouldn't, right? _Do it; you know you want to_, Chad Dylan Cooper's smug, know-it-all voice told him and, without even thinking anymore, the blond boy leaned forward slowly. He thought she was going to stop him and pull away when she realized what he was going to do, but she didn't and he could've sworn she lifted her head up a little, using his neck for support, before their lips met.

It was a soft kiss. They're lips met and just _fit_ together. Chad deepened the kiss a little and Sonny responded positively, making him smile. Finally, the two parted to get some air, their breaths raspy as they stared at each other.

"Oh," Sonny said after a moment, her eyes widening. Chad sat up, a worriedly curious look in his eyes. Instead of turning to talk to him like he thought she was going to do, she stood up, mumbling "oh no, oh no," as she did so, and started climbing up the ladder rungs.

"Sonny?" Chad asked as he followed her, trying to ignore the mix of butterflies and a very bad feeling in his stomach. He finally reached the floor-only tree house to find her pacing and, what looked like, talking to herself. "Sonny, what's wrong?"

"I can't do this," she whispered quietly as she stopped walking and faced him. "I – I can't do this. Not right now," she murmured with a sad look in her brown eyes, hugging herself.

"I'm not forcing you into anything, Sonshine," Chad said as he took a few steps closer to her and grabbing her arms, rubbing them up and down to try and calm her down.

"No, Chad, you don't under_stand_," she told him, her voice breaking as tears started welling in her eyes. "I can't do this now with _you_; I don't think I'd ever be able to do _this_ with you," she explained, putting a finger to her lips and he was speechless.

"Sonny, I'm – I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." but Chad didn't know what he didn't mean to do. He didn't mean to kiss her? No, that was a lie. He didn't mean to follow her here? That would be a lie as well. He didn't mean to be her friend? No, he had sort of wanted to be her friend from the very beginning. His jaw tightened as he realized what he didn't mean to do: fall in love with her.

"It's – it's not your fault, I'm just – being stupid," she whispered and he shook his head before pulling her into a hug. She started mumbling something about how she shouldn't have done something; he couldn't quite understand through the tears – he could feel them through his shirt.

"Sonny, you're not being stupid. I'm sorry I made you think you had to do anything," he whispered, unsure what exactly she was mad at herself about. She gave a choked up laugh and pulled away slowly and he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Chad, I – it's not really anything that you made me think. Not really, anyways. I - I don't know if I could deal with the two of you," she said simply, wiping at her tears.

"The – the two of us?" he asked curiously as he wiped away a tear from her cheek.

"Yes, the two of you; I don't know if I can deal with Chad _and_ Chad Dylan Cooper – at least, not in _that_ way," she explained and his eyes widened a little. "In that situation, I don't know if I can – can deal with a guy who can be the biggest..._jerk _in the history of jerks in front of everyone else, but then turn around and – and do _this_," she said, gesturing to him right now and he hesitated.

"Sonny," he started to say but she shook her head.

"I'm not going to make you get _rid_ of Chad Dylan Cooper. He's the most important thing in your life, I know. I'll just – I'll just head back," she said and, without waiting for his reply, she slipped out of his hug and started climbing down the rungs, wiping at her tears.

Chad was just frozen in the spot, staring at where the brunette was standing just moments ago, unsure of what to do or what to say.

_Say it_, Chad Dylan Cooper said matter-of-factly. _I don't care anymore._

_Say what? Don't care about what?_ Chad asked, still in the midst of his cloud of denial.

_Oh please. Don't give me that, Chad. You and I both know she's not telling the truth. Stop denying it and go after her._

_You have no idea what you're talking about. Chad Dylan Cooper __**is**__ the most important thing in my life. He's the whole reason I'm famous!_

_No, __**Mackenzie Falls**__ and that __**face**__ and your __**talent**__ are the reasons you're famous. The fact that I'm an inconsiderate, arrogant jerk has nothing to do with it. You're still plenty confident as just Chad._

_What do you know anyways?_

_Apparently more than you, so I'd just take my advice._

_Of course you would. You're Chad Dylan Cooper._

_So are you, technically, but seriously. Stop standing there and arguing with your alter ego and __**go after her**__. _

_She doesn't want me to._

_No, she doesn't want __**us**__ going after her. _

_What does that even __**mean**__?_

_That means that I'm giving up my spot on the radar. You can be Chad all the time._

Chad paused, realizing he was arguing with himself now. Chad Dylan Cooper was, unfortunately for him, _right_. He ran to the edge of the floor-only tree house just in time to see Sonny disappear within the trees. He closed his eyes, sighed, and sat down, hiding his face in his palms and resting his elbows on his knees.

"Why do you do this to me?" he asked half-angrily as he thought of the bubbly brunette actress.

- & -

**A/N: **And there it is :) Chad finally getting out of his denial. :) Hope it was up to par, you guys. One more chapter!

- Kalie


	6. You're Wrong

**A/N: **Oh my, this is officially the final chapter of _Hugs_! I'm really happy with the story, and I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. :) And hopefully, this is up to par. I personally think the ending is a tad on the lame side, but I wasn't sure how else to end it...

**Disclaimer:** I own nada. :(

- & -

He had stayed up all night. She wouldn't know it, but Chad Dylan Cooper had stayed up all night thinking about Sonny Monroe – which might explain the daze he couldn't break out of the next day. It was the first day of shooting a new episode, so they had to memorize some more lines. Usually, Chad was able to do so quickly, but this time, even the new guy, Alec, who was always having trouble memorizing his lines, had been better than Chad during the rehearsal.

Portlyn, who couldn't really talk about being dumb, had asked him if he had hit his head last night. Chad scoffed before going to his dressing room. He wished that that was his only problem. Unfortunately, after he had finally gotten off the tree house, he had sat in the tire swing, just thinking, until it got dark when he headed home. Couldn't have the star of _Mackenzie Falls_ getting attacked in the woods by someone or something, right? He sighed as he realized he didn't even have the heart to say that in an arrogant, smug tone, like he always did.

Finally, it was lunch time and Chad couldn't have been any happier. Maybe having something in his stomach would help him feel better, and not feel like he had finally given up on being a jerk after never changing in over sixteen years – all because of a girl. He had to be going mad; he just _had_ to be.

"Mr. Cooper? Are you okay? You're not acting very...Chad Dylan Cooper-y today?" one of the _Mackenzie Falls_ directors said as she passed by him on the way to the cafeteria. Chad blinked and nodded, giving her a fake-but-genuine-looking smile. He didn't want to tell anyone that he was getting rid of Chad Dylan Cooper until Sonny knew first. Then he heard the laughter.

It wasn't her laugh, per se, but it was the conjoined laughter of the _So Random!_ cast, and that was enough for Chad. He spun around, an excited look in his eyes as he waited for them to come.

Tawni Hart gave him a weird look, and he shrugged it off. Nico Harris and Grady Mitchell were, as always, messing around and not paying attention to their surroundings. One of them bumped into Chad and continued on, without even a sorry. Chad didn't say anything, gaining a narrow-eyed glare from the smallest member, Zora Lancaster. She obviously knew that Chad was not feeling like his usual Chad Dylan Cooper self if he wasn't yelling at Nico or Grady for bumping into him. In all honesty, he wasn't even paying attention. He just wanted to find Sonny.

Five minutes later, he was still waiting for her. He was about to turn around and ask Tawni where she was when the brunette ran into him. He gave her a big smile and she just gave him a curious look as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Sonny," he said in a cheerful voice, a small smile on his face. His tone made her wary, that much he knew.

"Ch_a_d," she replied unsurely, tilting her head a little to the side as she tried to figure out what he was up to. "What do you want?" Sonny asked, readjusting her folded arms and shifting her weight on her feet.

"I wanted to tell you that I thought about yesterday. All night long, actually," he told her, fidgeting a little. That's when he realized that the room was suddenly very, very quiet. Didn't these people have anything better to do than nose around other people's personal lives?

Sonny seemed to pause at that, watching him carefully and he could practically see the wheels in her head turning as she picked her words out carefully. "I've thought about yesterday too, but I'm sure you were expecting that answer," she said and he could tell this wasn't going to be easy to deal with. She was trying to go _back_ to the _old_ way of life – how they acted _before_ Chad started emerging from the wall he had built.

"No, Sonny, well, yes, but no – I wanted you to, but I mean," he replied, flustered before running a hand through his hair and letting it settle on the back of his neck.

The brunette's eyes widened at his flustered reply. It wasn't very often that Chad Dylan Cooper got flustered, as far as anyone on the lot cared, but they didn't seem to realize that Chad Dylan Cooper was, technically, no more. Now, it was just Chad. Just Chad was standing there, acting like a normal, everyday school boy with a huge crush on a friend. At least, Chad hoped the two were classified as friends. Before yesterday, he would've said, yes, he and Sonny Monroe were friends, but today, she seemed to want nothing more than to be rid of him.

"Cooper, will you just get it out?" she asked, rolling her eyes, and he could feel ice slipping off her words, or maybe he was just overanalyzing the situation due to the fluttery feeling in his stomach. He hoped it was the latter.

"If you would just let me _talk_ and stop giving me those _looks_, I'll be glad to, Monroe," he spat out, angrier than he wanted. Sonny looked disappointed for a split second before taking a deep breath and turning around, heading for the door.

_You idiot_, Chad Dylan Cooper's voice said sadly for the first time in about twelve hours. _Tell her the truth!_ And Chad couldn't be any happier to oblige.

"You were wrong!" he shouted as loudly as he could, even though she was only a few feet away from him.

Sonny stopped mid-step and slowly swivelled on the spot. She glanced around the room at all the people who had, just moments before, decided that the scene was just going to be a usual Sonny and Chad argument before he shouted over their rumbling noise. "What?" she asked him incredulously, taking a step towards him.

"I said _you're wrong_," he repeated, emphasizing the last two words as he took a step forward as well.

"Wrong about _what_?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest again and raising her eyebrows. Chad let himself smile a little at that; he thought it was pretty...cute that she couldn't raise a single eyebrow like he could.

"Everything," he said and the crowd started whispering amongst themselves as Sonny gave him a curious look. "You _could_ handle the two of us, you're just afraid of getting hurt. And you're wrong in thinking that I would ever want to. You're also wrong in the fact that you thought I was just going to let you go back to our normal everyday life after all that's happened and all we've been through – with or _without_ the kiss," he continued, taking determined step after determined step towards her as he spoke, his last statement gaining a gasp from their captive audience. He took a deep breath before continuing. "You're also wrong in thinking that _Chad Dylan Cooper_ is the most important thing in my life," he added, saying his name with a trace of disgust, in more of a whisper as he stood practically nose to nose to a rather tense Sonny Monroe. "Because, even though I've been denying it for who knows how long, the most important thing in my life only goes by two names and is absolutely _nothing_ like Chad Dylan Cooper," he told her, a smile on his face.

Sonny's eyes widened and her breath hitched as she thought about what he was saying. She stood there, gaping like a fish out of water, as she tried to find the words to reply to him. She could feel the eyes of the crowd just _waiting_ for her to reply, but once she looked up at his sparkly blue eyes, she couldn't quite remember where she was for a second. "Chad," she said quietly and simply, her breath catching ever so slightly, not really for any purposes but to say something to him. She knew that he had heard it because his eyes danced like they were smiling.

"I'm sorry I ever made you think you were making me choose between you and Chad Dylan Cooper, Sonshine," he said sincerely, and she gave a sheepish smile at his public use of the nickname. She only ever remembered him calling her that when it was just the two of them, and now, as if to prove a point, he had used it in public – in front of all their friends. "I'm also really sorry that it took me this long to decide to tell you that there was never really any competition on who I'd choose," he whispered, cupping her cheek in his hand.

Sonny couldn't help but practically melt against his touch. Taking her sudden relaxed aura as a good sign, Chad lifted her chin slightly and lowered his head to place a soft kiss on her lips. "Mmm," she murmured before deepening the kiss by putting her arms around his neck. He slipped his arms around her waist and a few moments later, the two pulled away, huge grins on their faces.

"Does this mean?" she asked hesitantly, without pulling away, but nibbling on her bottom lip.

"Yes; it's officially just Chad now," he answered honestly and sincerely with a smile before giving her another soft kiss on the lips, causing her to break out in a bright pink blush and a huge smile.

"_Finally_!" the voices of their fellow cast mates, both from _Mackenzie Falls_ and _So Random!_, cried out, causing them to laugh before he grabbed her hand and pulled her outside.

"Come on; I'll take you out for lunch today," he said happily and she gave a small laugh before following him.

_Told you so_, Chad Dylan Cooper said in a sing-song voice as the seventeen-year-old _Mackenzie Falls_ star drove off the lot with his new girlfriend.

- & -

**A/N:** And there it is! I was really excited to have finished writing it already, and I thought I'd let CDC have a final word there. Also, when I finished writing this, Chad's little speech sort of reminded me of Andy Paxton (Ryan Reynolds)'s in _The Proposal_. Of course, it might just be me being crazy, but anyways. I hope you guys enjoyed it and thanks for reading! :)

- Kalie


End file.
